Christmas crash claims child’s life, injures mother and baby

A motorist driving under the influence on Christmas Day tragically resulted in the death of a five-year-old girl and the injury of her young mother and baby sister.

A 29-year-old motorist will be appearing before the Brits Magistrate’s Court on Friday for culpable homicide and driving under the influence.

Police officers arrested the woman in Hartbeespoort Dam late Wednesday afternoon.

Bakkie collided with mother and two children

The authorities said the police were informed about a black Volkswagen Amarok bakkie that collided with a mother and two children in Kosmos at Simon Bekker Avenue in Hartbeespoort Dam.

Emergency and Medical Rescue Services (EMRS) paramedics certified a five-year-old girl dead at the accident scene.

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Police took the 22-year-old mother of the two children to a local hospital, where she was admitted with serious head injuries. Doctors also admitted the third victim, a baby girl, to the hospital in a serious condition.

Police immediately arrested the woman and charged her with driving under the influence of alcohol or a drug with a narcotic effect and culpable homicide.

Earlier on Christmas Day, Deputy President Paul Mashatile urged those consuming alcohol on Christmas and the remainder of the holidays to do so responsibly.

Call for responsible drinking

“During the festive season, we must be mindful of alcohol and substance abuse. While celebration brings joy, it can also lead to overindulgence and unhealthy behaviours,” stated Mashatile.

The Department of Transport launched its annual festive season road safety campaign earlier this month under the theme “Every Day Without a Road Death – South Africa 2024”, in an effort to curb the rising number of accidents and fatalities.

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 Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy said road fatalities do not only impact the families of the affected victims, but they also cause a massive cost to the economy.

The department set a goal to reduce road traffic deaths by 50% by 2030.

She called on all road users, drivers and pedestrians to take the necessary action to keep safe and ensure a reduction in the number of crashes on the roads.

Additional reporting by Jarryd Westerdale and Faizel Patel